Abstract: Qscore is the most advanced tool available for ranking the potential commercial value of a patent or a portfolio of patents. Other ranking methods typically rely heavily on a patent's reference graph (citations to/from other patents). Qscore is far more sophisticated: using data mining tokenization techniques, Qscore takes into account multiple factors correlated with patent value. This document generally describes the method used to assign a quality score to each patent, which is used to bias the ranking of the results returned from the keyword-based searching in the analytics embodiment of the present invention. This quality score, denoted by Qscore, is designed to identify the patents that are not only relevant to the user's query but also possess some additional, query independent, quality characteristics. Consequently, Qscore can be considered as an information filtering aid—designed to identify the “good” information from a “sea” of information.

Abstract: The present invention is a patent search and analytics software tool (Zuse) that finds prior art for each claim limitation/element. The software automatically breaks up every claim into individual claim limitations. For example, our software can automatically break up a claim into about five (5) separate, different claim limitations/elements. Then, it can find the best prior art for each of the five (5) separate, different claim limitations/elements. This is very helpful when you cannot find a prior art reference for only part of a claim. Also, the software finds the best prior art for the entire claims. Our software also includes non-patent literature (NPL) searching. ZUSE identifies relevant prior art by taking into account the limitations of the claim under consideration (query claim of query patent), the text of the art, the link structure of the citation network, and the patent classification.

Abstract: A renal stent includes a balloon expandable segment intended for deployment in the renal vessel and a self expanding segment intended for deployment in the aortic segment. One or both of the balloon expandable and self expanding segments can be deployed in the ostial region of the renal vessel, typically the renal artery. The balloon expandable segment provides superior radial strength for maintaining dilated diameter of the renal vessel. The self expanding segment expands to conform to the flared ostial and aortic regions of the vessel. The self expanding segment can be balloon dilated to enhance conformance of the self expanding stented segment to the ostial and aortic regions.

Abstract: Social dilemma virtual world environment (VWE) software facilitates creation and usage of social dilemma tests or exercises for measuring and analyzing online interactive societies. An online interactive society arises whenever two or more people interact through a computer-based communication medium, which may include text or written communication, audio communication, still or motion video communication, or any combination of these communication formats. The social dilemma VWE software and the methodology of the present invention are capable of distinguishing the levels of cooperation and trust that are created by various interface and social factors within online interactive societies. Evaluating with social dilemma VWE software the effects of such social and interface factors on the degree of online cooperation allows such factors to be incorporated into the design and functionality of online interactive societies.